Aang knew that he was not going to like the talk he was walking into; the Fire Lord had made her feelings clear about the situation she had found herself in- she was driven by fear, not respect. She understood he was the Avatar, and he had already defeated her father and taken away his bending. That fact meant she couldn't stand against him, not in combat, which assured him that she would not restart the war while he was standing in the way.

Though he respected his predecessor greatly, he knew he had to learn from Avatar Roku's mistake; he had let his friendship with Sozin cloud his judgement, and prevented him from doing what was necessary to stop the war. Although he doubted he would have killed the Fire Lord if he had been in Roku's shoes, he certainly wouldn't have let him continue threatening the Four Nations and the balance that hung between them. He was not friends with Fire Lord Azula, and doubted he would ever have anything beyond a professional, diplomatic relationship with her; rapport was nonexistent, but he had to hope they could build trust.

That was why he was frustrated when Toph and Katara came to him, telling him about the Dai Li and how they were still lurking around the Fire Nation capital. Though Azula had supposedly reassured them that she wasn't spying on the guests in the palace, Aang found that hard to believe. He didn't know politics well, but he had learned a few things from his time in Ba Sing Se; knowing things while one's opponents do not is how one gains advantage. He wasn't hiding anything from Azula, and that, he realised, was the problem; they weren't playing the same game.

So, when he sat down in that tearoom, across from the Fire Lord, he made sure to keep his pieces close to his chest; he wasn't the best Pai Sho player, but he wasn't going to just blabber and say everything he had planned. Meetings with the Earth King, the Council of Five, and with the leaders of the Earth Kingdom forces that had resisted the Fire Nation were on the table, though he would not be inviting the Fire Lord, at least not initially.

He could not give advantage or overt favour to one side or the other, despite the victories the Fire Nation had achieved over all those years he was frozen, and the crimes they had committed against the innocents of the world. Azula's words in the few council meetings they'd had were not lies- the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom could not easily come to peace with each other, no matter what assurances Aang gave to either side.

The Fire Lord was flanked by guards on either side, those earthbenders who had been escorting her around the palace, though as soon as Aang got comfortable, she decided to take issue with it, "Leave us." she demanded, and both of the earthbenders looked at each other, perplexed, before they turned to face Aang.

"Should we, Avatar Aang?" one of them, an older woman whose name he hadn't learned, asked him.

"She isn't going to attack me." he observed, "Don't worry, just stand outside the door."

They nodded and paced over to the sliding doors, and shut them on the way out, standing with Azula's actual guards, the Imperial Firebenders; they followed her around as well, and guarded her rooms, but they weren't allowed to interact with her, at least since she was freed from her cell.

"Good, now we can get down to business." she acknowledged, placing her hands together on the table, "I assume you have come to ask about the Dai Li?"

"Well... yes, my friends were saying we should make a deal about that. I don't really know much about oaths, but I think you do." he explained himself, feeling a bit out of his depth when faced with something as politically complex and dangerous as the Dai Li.

"Ah, so what, I swear to not use the Dai Li against you, and you'll continue to let me be a prisoner in my own home?" she asked him, her tone not sarcastic, though he realised that she was being so after the fact; she was mad, and though he sympathised with her reasons, he knew that she was too dangerous to simply be left to her devices, given what she'd done to him and his friends since they first met in Omashu.

"I mean... What else can we do?" he asked her, genuinely hoping for a good faith discussion; he knew she was going to press him for more power and less restrictions, but he had to keep his ground.

"What can you do?" she put his question back at him, "Why don't you tell me, Avatar, seeing as you're all powerful and clearly in control of everything around here?" she put the onus on him; Aang didn't like that, given he wasn't doing everything himself- he had his friends to help him, and their allies to advise him on the various matters that concerned the peace process.

"I'm not-" he began, before sighing, unsure what to say to try and get her on side, "We can't be enemies anymore. I want you to just work with us."

"I can do that." she offered, which was a bit surprising, given how she had fought tooth and nail in every conversation for her own power, "As equals." she added, which was far less of a surprise; she wanted her throne, so she could do what she wanted, not because she wanted to collaborate with any peace process.

"Equals?" he raised a brow, "I mean, I am not trying to control you, or anyone."

"You literally are. That's what you've been doing since you got here." she snapped back at him, "At least be honest about it. I haven't lied once since you took me out of that dirty cell."

He cringed and turned away, knowing that she wasn't wrong; he was trying to control the situation, and control her, so he didn't have to deal with her ambitions. He wanted the nations to come to terms with each other, and didn't trust her; that was the truth of it.

"You're right." he conceded, "I don't want to have to make demands, but you haven't made it easy."

"What, because I'll ruin your 'peace'? I'm pretty sure the Earth Kingdom Army will be ruining it far before I even have a chance to." she warned him, repeating her claims that the Earth Kingdom would attack the Fire Nation in time; he knew that she wasn't lying about that, because Tyro and the fighters spoke about the war in terms that suggested just that- if they couldn't get what they wanted through diplomacy, they would take it for themselves.

"Urgh." he groaned, still unsure what to say to make things any better; the Fire Lord was combative at every turn, but she was always pragmatic- that was better than somebody like her father, who was clearly crazy, trying to conquer the world and destroy everything, "The Dai Li, they have to be out in the open."

"No." she refused, before scrunching her lips, "If that was conditional to where they are in the world, I might consider it."

"So, they can hide from the Earth King? Hide from justice?" he asked her, recalling what Katara had said about their cowardice, hiding once Ba Sing Se had fallen.

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying." she confirmed his suspicions, "They might have committed treason, but they are under my service: I cannot and will not betray them." she stated her position, "It would be like asking your own allies who betrayed my nation to come and face justice." she offered a counterpoint, "Admiral Jeong Jeong... he is wanted for deserting the Fire Navy, and now, for aiding the Earth Kingdom by conquering Ba Sing Se from us." she gave an example of somebody who would fall in the category opposite to the Dai Li; somebody who had, for whatever reason, aided the enemies of their nation.

When she phrased it like that, he felt like she actually was right; that made him mad, knowing how different the Dai Li and Jeong Jeong were. The old grumpy firebender wasn't the nicest guy, but he was a good man, who had trained him to firebend, and shown him that firebenders could be good and honourable. The Dai Li, on the other hand, were treacherous sneaks, who had taken the first opportunity to betray the Earth Kingdom when it no longer suited them to serve the Earth King.

"So... how is that fair?" he asked her, "Nobody gets justice."

"There is no world where two sides can both win equally." she retorted, "The Dai Li will not be released from my service, and will not be facing the Earth King, not until your precious peace settlement is finished." she gave her conditions, "We have more than enough time to throw blame and anger around then... not now, then."

Aang didn't want to just accept her demands then and there; he knew it would make him look weak. He didn't know all too much about being a good Avatar; he was just going into things as they came to him, hoping that he could win without killing anyone, and making sure he wasn't just causing more violence. He hadn't succeeded at that so far, even if he had been able to spare Ozai.

"I took your father's bending and threw him in prison... that was justice." he declared, before narrowing his eyes, "Why should I trust you over him... you want the same things, don't you?"

"The same?" she raised a brow, "Well, I played the part of the dutiful daughter for long enough." she acknowledged; the callousness by which she referred to her father's defeat was surprising, though given how terrible and crazed her father appeared to be, perhaps she was actually pleased that he was out of the picture.

"Huh." he mumbled, "So... you're saying I freed you." he realised what she was implying, and she glanced down at her hands.

"Well, not just literally. I wanted to be the Fire Lord." she told him what had to be true, her tone sounding slightly conflicted; like anyone, she had her doubts, and must have felt some about her father being deposed, "Now the only impediment to my rule... is you." she raised her hands towards Aang, "So... can we get back to the topic at hand?"

"The Dai Li." he recalled, before furrowing a brow, "So... if we agree that the Dai Li doesn't have to face justice until after the peace settlement, they'll stop spying on us?"

"They're not." she retorted, now sounding annoyed with him, "I already told your idiot friends that, but they must think I have to lie about the scary earthbenders in the shadows."

"Then what are they doing?"

"Providing me with intelligence on Ba Sing Se." she clarified, placing her hands together, "And as we speak, finding any evidence of treasonous activities by the Council of Ministers. I don't mean cooperating with you... I mean, undermining my authority and the security of my nation."

"But... you could say they did that by working with us." Aang suggested, knowing that even if they weren't eager, the Council submitted to his demands after he'd defeated both Azula and Ozai.

"I just said they didn't." she retorted, "You understand that the Fire Nation has their own equivalent to the Dai Li, correct?" she leaned in a little closer, lowering her voice.

"Wait... so they're spying on the spies?" he asked, speaking quietly in imitation; she nodded slowly, and Aang furrowed a brow, "So, why?"

"The Fire Nation is not as unified as you might believe. The Fire Lord has always had a firm grasp on the ministers, bureaucrats, and all the soldiers, spies, and officers underneath them. You ruined that balance with your stunts... so I have to pick up the pieces one way or another." she explained her situation, "So, I have a very simple demand."

Aang cringed, knowing what would come next; he had to get her to cooperate if peace was to be achieved, so he nodded.

"I am the Fire Lord, and I have authority over my nation, my palace, my people. You are not here as my jailers, but as foreign dignitaries, working on a peace settlement. Do you understand?" she asked him, and he raised a brow.

"Which part of that was the demand?"

"Oh, you're twelve, so I'll forgive your lack of wit... You have no power over me. I want my nation back... and if you agree to stop interfering, I will do everything in my power to give you what you want."

"Peace." he mumbled, "How?"

"You might be willing to dismantle my nation's empire, but you're not willing to use violence to stop my people from rising up if you do so. You're a coward, through and through." she demeaned him, and though Aang was offended, he'd heard those words, if more politely, come out of his friends' own mouths, "So, let me do what I am good at. I will bring order to my house, and you can bring order to the world."

"So... we have to both try and keep each other's sides from killing each other." he realised, and Azula nodded, seeming pleased that he understood her point.

"Yes, that's exactly what I want. You might not rule the Earth Kingdom, but I know you have the favour of the Earth King, and the Council of Five. You make them cooperate... stop them from killing my citizens, and destroying everything we've built, then you'll get what you want."

"What about the colonies?"

"I thought I already made it clear, we'll get to that when we actually have our negotiations. Those are impossible if the Earth Kingdom does not obey the armistice." she warned him, and he sighed.

"They haven't done anything to break it." he retorted, "So, can you at least tell me what you want with them?"

"Fire Nation citizens are my subjects. They are under my protection, and while you are in this palace, negotiating with me... I have a balance to hold. I must protect them from any attacks, military or otherwise, and I will not have the people stringing you and your friends up. I already know how that will go."

"They can't hurt me." he tried to argue, and she laughed.

"Oh I'm aware... but you can kill them... and before you say you won't want to... what happens when your precious waterbender girlfriend gets cooked alive?" he asked her; Aang grit his teeth, and stood up.

"Is that a threat?" he asked her bluntly, and she just laughed at him.

"Oh, consider that nerve touched." she observed his reaction, and raised her hands defensively, "No, it was not. I am simply warning you what might happen if I am unable to keep the domestic situation under control. The people of the Fire Nation hate you. They hate the other nations for resisting us, and killing our dutiful soldiers. They hate all the lessers who have taken the lives of our greatest heroes." she told him something he couldn't really believe.

He had been to a Fire Nation school, he knew what the children were learning, but he couldn't believe for a second that everyone would just blindly agree to continue fighting, to even rise up against their own government, just because Aang's mere presence offended them. They weren't crazy- Ozai might have been, but he was just one man.

"I haven't killed anyone." he warned her, wanting to make clear that he was not guilty of the crimes the people might accuse him of, "I came here to help the world find peace."

"You... you're really that deluded, aren't you?" she scoffed at his words, before rising to her feet, "I want the Minister of Defence, right now!" she shouted at the door, which opened slowly, one of her servants leaning in.

"Wh-what's going on?" Aang asked her, and she raised a hand at him, telling him to be quiet; he would have lambasted her for her rudeness, but her following words stopped her.

"I want the confidential numbers on the Northern Expedition's casualties." she ordered the servant, "Tell the Minister it is urgent, for the good of our nation."

"The Northern Expedition?" he raised a brow, and she turned her eyes to face him, coldly staring him down.

"Did you really forget all those people you killed? Who froze in the Northern Sea, who were slaughtered by the Northern Water Tribe when they lost their chance to escape?" she asked him, and Aang felt a shiver down his spine.

He wanted to forget that day, which proved her right; he knew, deep down, that he was responsible for those deaths, even if Admiral Zhao's actions had led to his decision to use the Avatar State. He had barely any control, but he could have refused, he could have gone out and helped the waterbenders and warriors fight the Fire Nation back, and force them to leave for good. What was terrible, was that he did achieve that, in the worst possible way.

"You're... you're right." he mumbled, knowing that even if she was trying to manipulate his feelings, his guilt, which he had plenty of, he could not deny the truth, "I- I did it... I mean, I didn't have control, but I am the Avatar, it was my power that did it."

"I'm glad you're aware of your actions... and now, let me ask you, why do they hate you?"

"Because I'm a monster to them." he realised, and raised his hands to his cheeks, unsure what to say after that; he knew he had to set things right, and not just because he felt bad.

That was his duty as the Avatar, something he had skirted around long enough. Peace had to be lasting, and he knew that Roku had been wrong; he didn't kill Sozin, but he didn't even try to stop him, and force him to see the error of his ways. He didn't know if he could do that with the Fire Lord, but she at least seemed reasonable, in stark contrast to her megalomaniacal father.

"Yes, and now you have a chance to prove that you are not an enemy of the Fire Nation." she suggested, getting to the point she was reaching for the whole conversation; she had turned the situation on its head, putting the onus on Aang to prove his goodwill to the world.

"And do what? I can't bring those sailors back to life." he asked her, knowing that he lacked the power to make amends for that specific act of horror, "What, should I go find the Admiral and bring him to justice?" he pressed her, knowing that he was high ranking in the Fire Nation, but clearly a threat to peace if he had retained his rank after the battle at the North Pole.

"Ha!" she let out a laugh, before she regained her composure, though she still had a smile on her face; it was different to the smiles he'd seen before, "You won't need to do anything of the sort."

The last time he'd seen her look like that was when she was allowed to go to the gardens to look at the turtle ducks; the Fire Lord didn't strike him as a sentimental person, but she obviously had some kind of investment in the issue of Zhao.

"Why? Did he already get thrown in jail by your father?" he asked, and the Fire Lord's expression shifted.

"If he had realised what had happened at the North Pole, then he would have... however, my father never had the opportunity to hand down judgement." she conceded, placing her hands together, a small smile forming on her lips, "Fate had other plans. He was murdered for his crimes against the Fire Nation, by a rogue element, bent on avenging their comrades." she explained with a cold and serious tone, though her face suggested that she was pleased with the outcome.

"Uh... I shouldn't be happy... but I am." he admitted, glad that the man was gone; he was evil, malicious, and just like the Phoenix King, an absolute megalomaniac, obsessed with glory and domination.

His eyes turned back to Azula, unsure why she seemed so pleased about Zhao being killed; he knew that she had to have some sense of loyalty and duty to her nation's military and their sacrifices, but her approval seemed near malicious. He knew that revenge was a fool's game, and yet, it seemed like that was exactly what she got.

"What did he do to make you hate him?" he asked her, and the Fire Lord narrowed her eyes upon him, seeming suspicious of his line of questioning.

"Why do you ask?"

"You really seem to hate him." he reiterated his view, "I mean more than you should for him being stupid and crazy."

"He killed my uncle and brother." she clarified with a sharp, frustrated tone, and Aang's eyes widened; he'd only heard rumours about them when they were travelling through the Earth Kingdom, but now it was confirmed.

"So... Prince Zuko's really dead." he mumbled, feeling almost guilty; he had gone out of his way to rescue him from Pohuai Fortress, and even if it wasn't for altruistic reasons, Aang would have been stuck there otherwise, and probably would have been dragged away to a terrible fate in the Fire Nation.

It only took him a few moments to connect the dots between Pohuai Fortress, Zuko, and Zhao, who had been commanding the place when they were escaping, "He..." Aang murmured, before rising to his feet, "He saved me."

"And you know what that cost him." she observed his reaction; she knew as well, though he couldn't be sure how- maybe it had become common knowledge that Zuko was the Blue Spirit.

A few moments later, the door opened, and the servant who had been there before was standing with a document- the records on the casualties.

"Ah, finally." she acknowledged his arrival, striding over to grab the document out of his hand, before handing it to Aang, "Take care of it." she suggested; it was a cruel thing to do, but it was merely the truth.

He couldn't be afraid of it; that was what got him into the iceberg, and what ruined the world.

"I'm not- I'm not afraid." he declared his stance, as he took the document into his hands, "I will do my duties."

"Good." she crossed her arms, "Balance is a tricky thing." she warned him, before approaching the door, "May I leave?"

"But I thought you said you had authority over the palace." he recalled what she had demanded earlier.

"I'm not looking for permission, I want to know if you have any more unreasonable things to ask of me." she snapped back, and he shook his head.

"Did you have anything else to say?"

"If this is my palace, then you are under my protection until you leave. Your friends won't be harmed by anyone from my nation. Your little girlfriend will be safe." she assured him, though her last words were clearly mocking him; she knew he was close to Katara, and though he couldn't say they were in a relationship, the complications were not a reason to say he wouldn't do anything to protect her.

"She's taller than me." he said the first thing that came to mind, hoping his own snark would shut her up.

"Too true."


Zuko had spent days running through the wilds, and he was thoroughly fed up with his present situation. Escaping Zhao's ship was easy enough, given he knew the general layout of Fire Navy ships in general, and then, making his way out of the port town of Kitakazewan was straightforward, given all he had to do was run into town, take somebody else's clothes off a line, and cover his scar.

Once the activity there had died down, and his sister and her entourage departed on her ship, he felt comfortable leaving town, knowing that Zhao's men would be looking for the Blue Spirit, and more than a few people would have seen his face and the mask. Whether they would have realised he was Prince Zuko was something else entirely, and he didn't really care for it; he was going to disappear, just like his sister asked him to.

So, he made his way south, following the railway towards the colonies, until he ran into some military patrols, clearly sent out by Zhao's subordinates to locate him. He diverted away from the railway, and made his way following some old hunting trails until he reached a valley that was inhabited. The place was still an Earth Kingdom stronghold, at least in terms of the population, with only a barebones Fire Nation garrison. However, there was barely anyone living there, with an old, decrepit village, inhabited by refugees in the centre; he saw the light of homes and fires in the hills, but guessed that was where the rest of the Earth Kingdom inhabitants lived, far from Fire Nation forces, secure on their hilltops.

Zuko knew that to go there would invite suspicion from the locals, who might recognise his features as Fire Nation, and that would either lead him to an early death or imprisonment. He wanted to avoid both of those, and stuck to travelling further south along the road. The old village had some people there, but none of them were offering work, the thing he sorely needed when he wasn't able to beg for food. They would have figured out his Fire Nation heritage quickly enough, and would have rejected him outright, even if they wouldn't have tried to attack him, with the garrison in the village.

He ate some wildberries and caught a fish when he came along a stream, but didn't stay for long, having earned the attention of some locals who rightly took him for a vagrant. They might have sympathised with him, but they threatened him that they'd call the soldiers on him for loitering around their land.

Zuko then followed the road, sometimes moving off to the stream to try and get some more food. He was able to get a few more fish, catching some in natural rockpools, and found some berries and tubers; however, none of that could sate him, not to mention he barely knew what he was doing. He had spent the past three years on a ship, eating navy rations and ordering other people to buy things when possible; he had very little experience making his own food, most of that experience having been earnt since his ship exploded and he was forced to walk the land.

Part of him began to regret rejecting his sister's other offer, knowing that it would have been easier to join her and continue his hunt for that Avatar. Reminding himself of that, however, gave him back the memories of the fruitless struggle he'd faced trying to catch the boy. He had spent two months chasing him from the South Pole to the northern Earth Kingdom, and if Zhao hadn't gotten in the way, he might have continued following him until he went so far inland that Zuko was forced to abandon his ship and chase him on foot.

Given his choices, he doubted he'd ever see the Avatar again, let alone his sister, who was probably living it up in her tank-train. He felt like he should have said more to her, but didn't think she would have listened; his grievances felt justified, but in the eyes of Azula, who had gotten everything she had ever wanted, they might not have made any sense.

So, when Zuko reached another valley, this time closer to the western coast, which he had spotted while going through a mountain pass, he decided he'd go into the first village he found on the other side, and find some work. Even if he had to sleep outside in the mud, rain and wind, he would at least have a full stomach. If he was forced to steal from others, he would only feel worse about his situation; Zuko was not a thief, stealing from those who had already suffered enough.

He came across a trader riding a ostrich horse, which drew a large carriage, and hailed him down, wanting to have a better idea of where he was, and where he could actually find work and with it, a renewable source of food.

"Good day." the man greeted him, his golden eyes betraying him as Fire Nation, though his multi-coloured robes didn't say much about his background, "You seem a bit lost, friend."

It was strange to see somebody with such variety in their attire, though Zuko guessed it was a way to make him seem friendly to outsiders, who could not really identify the man with any nation.

"I'm a bit unsure where I am." Zuko admitted the truth, though he didn't go into any details as to why he was lost; he knew his general location, as he had studied naval maps constantly while crossing the globe in search of the Avatar, but he was unfamiliar with the interior of the Earth Kingdom, never having travelled far from the sea.

"Ah, well, you're not far from the next village." he assured him, "Just down this road, by the next river crossing. It's a small place, but you should be able to find some respite there." he clarified, "What's a boy like you doing out wandering the colonies?"

"I was kicked out of my home." he told him, again being truthful, though he left out the important detail that he had been Crown Prince of the Fire Nation.

"Ah, well... There's always a home for outcasts around here. All of us are, in one way or another." he assured him with a smile, "You stay safe out there... These roads aren't safe at night."

"Yeah, I know." he sternly responded as he stepped past the man's cart, wondering if he ought to swipe something; he was hungry and the water he'd been drinking just tasted like dirt, "Is there any work there?"

"Construction mostly." the trader clarified, "You look strong enough for it." he commented on Zuko's build, his eyes scanning up and down his frame, narrowed in thought, "Though, I have to ask, what happened to your face?"

Zuko self-consciously touched at his scar, though he realised he might have also been talking about the bruises and cuts he had on his face, "It wasn't all at once." he mumbled, before turning away and continuing down the road.

"Uh... well, good luck!" the trader farewelled him awkwardly, and Zuko didn't turn back.

The road was quiet after that, and he followed it downhill through a valley; the forest gave way to fields of crops and livestock, and then, he crossed a hill, coming into sight of the village the trader spoke of. It was an older village that was clearly in the process of being turned into a Fire Nation colony, with a new set of walls built around the settlement, and a number of larger factories, villas, and row houses built near the centre, like any other colonial settlement, with the rest of the village being of poor Earth Kingdom make, some of the buildings collapsed or heavily damaged, probably during the fighting when the Fire Nation took over the place.

He was comfortable enough with the belief that Zhao's lackeys wouldn't have reached the place to go into the village. It wasn't the biggest place, and it seemed to only have a single major factory, though he couldn't tell from just looking at it what it made; he imagined it was for processing timber into furniture or something of the likes, given the thick woods that surrounded the village. He did notice a few houses under construction, just like the trader had said; that was work he could do, even if it would be tiring and boring, he would at least be sated with some fresh food and enough ban to pay for lodging somewhere.

When he got into the middle of the village, it was already early morning, but Zuko was exhausted, and decided to go to the local tavern and get himself something to eat, so he could at least have a full stomach before he looked for work. He had some money that the colonists gave him after he protected them from those bandits, but it was already running thin, given that they didn't have much to spare. He could probably pay for a meal or two, and then a room for a night, but after that, he'd have nothing. Zuko wondered if he ought to buy some new clothes to try and blend in better, but he knew that would be expensive, and wasn't as high a priority as finding a way to survive.

He strode into the tavern, trying to be as unassuming as possible; he had his cloak on, but kept his face unobscured, knowing it would look more suspicious to cover it. He could see that the establishment was lively with the locals enjoying their lunches, as well as tea and a plethora of alcoholic beverages. He hoped that nobody would pay too much attention to him, unsure how many people would recognise him as 'Prince Zuko, the exiled son of the Fire Lord'. His scar was stark and distinctive, but he knew that other losers in Agni Kais had worse marks on their faces and bodies.

He approached the bar and pulled out a few coins from his pocket, "Could I get something hot, and some tea?" he asked, and the barkeep looked at him with a bit of interest, but mostly pity.

"What, did a platypus bear chew you up and spit you out?" he asked the Prince, who didn't laugh at his joke.

"Something like that." he mumbled, and the barkeep awkwardly eyed him before accepting the coins.

"Yeah, we've got some jook in the pot, and there's a pot of tea we can pour for you. I hope you like green tea, because that's all we've got." he told him what he'd be getting; Zuko wasn't going to enjoy either all too much, but it was better than nothing.

"Thank you, sir." he acknowledged the exchange with a slight bow, which amused the barkeep more than his appearance had.

"Ah-ha, we've got a former servant here." he pointed Zuko out to the kitchen staff, "Bowing and shit like that, you're a funny guy."

Zuko didn't react, holding his tongue, when he would have preferred to disparage the man for his impoliteness. A girl from the kitchen strode over and brought over the teapot, pouring a single ceramic cup for him. The barkeep grabbed her shoulder before she left for the kitchen.

"Leave the pot. I'm feeling bad for this guy." he directed her, telling Zuko that would get some refills.

"You really don't need to." he tried to refuse the act of kindness, or perhaps, it was merely pity, "I do think there is something you can help me with though, sir." he admitted, the barkeep snorting at his 'sir', but let Zuko continue, "I need work. I've been travelling the road and I don't have much money."

"Chou is having some houses built out down the street, for some new settlers who are coming from the homeland." the barkeep clarified, "I could introduce you to him... he's a frequent customer here with his boys."

"Ah, I would be forever grateful." he gave another token of politeness, though his words were not without true gratitude; he didn't like stooping to the point of begging for work from unseemly barkeeps, but he was going to take what he could get so he could have a full stomach by the end of the day.

The barkeep just chuckled at him, and turned around, pacing over to the pot of jook, scooping out some, and putting it in a bowl for him; he placed the bowl down with a spoon in front of Zuko, who gave a curt bow in respect before he began to eat. He hadn't really been thinking about his hunger until the food was sitting in front of him; it was abstracted, his goals being work and security, not a meal specifically. All that abstraction went out the window, and he dug in, trying to maintain a semblance of decency as he scooped it into his mouth.

"I've gotta tell Shui that somebody actually likes her jook." the barkeep observed with a humoured voice, leaning down on the bar, "So, I have to ask you, boy, what happened to your face?"

He almost choked on the jook by hearing that question; he didn't want to divulge all his secrets to a virtual stranger, but he knew that gaining the man's goodwill would do him good. He was a commoner in the colonies, and he probably just saw Zuko as somebody like him. So, he just hoped that the barkeep didn't know too much about Prince Zuko, given his recent 'death', in the eyes of the public.

"My father." he told him the actual truth, though that was vague enough to not arouse too much suspicion.

"Shit." his eyes widened, "That... uh, that was a lot worse than I thought it was gonna be."

"What, did you think I was in a gang or something?" he asked him with a glare, before continuing his meal.

"I mean... you do have the look for it." he conceded his thoughts, and Zuko almost snickered.

"Yes, and the skills." he warned him; that was all he needed to say, and the barkeep understood the situation.

"If I was in need of protection... well, now I know who to ask." he admitted with a whisper, looking away from Zuko and the rest of the tavern so he wasn't able to be heard by anyone else.

"For your sake, I hope you don't." he mumbled, before taking another scoop of jook into his mouth.

"Y-yeah." he nodded awkwardly, before gesturing to the teacup that was sitting beside him, "You are going to drink that right? I didn't give you a whole pot for nothing."

"No, you kinda did." he countered, before picking up the cup of tea, and swigging it down; he licked his lips and sighed, "I've had better, but free tea is free tea. You're... surprisingly nice."

"Hey, I have to be nice in this line of work. I don't want some idiot smashing a bottle of baijiu over my head." he raised a finger towards him, before retracting it, "You seem down on your luck, and nice enough."

"Nice is not the word I'd ever use to describe myself." he admitted quietly, before considering that the only person he could really compare himself to was his sister, "I mean, compared to an ordinary person."

"Most people don't care for others... too consumed in whatever drives their lives. Family, honour, love, work, money." he listed off a few things people could be focused on, "I just thought you were a nice guy." he acknowledged, before sighing, and gesturing down to the bag he had slung over his shoulder, "But... uh, I saw the mask." he added with a whisper.

"Shit." he mumbled under his breath, before he realised how odd it was that the man was actually treating him kindly for being the Blue Spirit, "Wait... so you're... not having an issue with me?"

"No, you saved a lot of people. Everybody's heard about that guy and those bandits... you're him."

"I will not say I am." he warned him, before sighing, "Can you tell me how you saw it?"

"When you were reaching to get your money... the bag swung, I saw inside." he clarified quietly, before shrugging, "Maybe get some string and tie it shut next time."

"I'll do that." he agreed to his idea, before scooping up some more jook, "Thanks again."

"No problem, sir." he assured Zuko with a smile, and he just cringed, finding the degree of deference strange and undeserved.

"Please don't call me that."


Suki had never been to the Fire Nation before she was thrown into the Boiling Rock, let alone the palace, but that was where she was now standing. The massive doors that led into the gilded structure were more impressive than anything she'd seen thus far, and she'd seen mansions, a massive port lined with ships the size of villages, walls and defences that could even make somebody from Ba Sing Se look with wonder.

The guards who were escorting them were wearing different armour to the men she saw down in the city, with gilded armour and helmets. The Fire Nation royalty didn't spare any expense for their home nor their protection. She was so taken aback that she had actually forgotten what they were doing; they had been released on the order of the Fire Lord, presumably by Sokka's intervention. Hakoda and her both agreed that he had the motivation to do so, though it could just have easily been Aang or Katara.

The guards opened the doors for her and Hakoda, and then gestured for them to enter, "You are now guests of the Fire Lord. You may go as you please... but if you leave the palace, you will require an escort." the leader of the guards explained to them, and Hakoda nodded.

"Uh... thank you." he acknowledged his help, and the guard didn't respond.

So, the two of them paced on inside, the doors being pulled shut behind them, now finding themselves in the dimly lit and foreboding palace of the Fire Lord. Hakoda was looking around with interest, and turned to face her.

"I was thinking there'd be more of our allies about. Most of them were imprisoned here in the capital." he noted, before shrugging his shoulders, "Well, we best go and find my children." he decided on the next course of action, which she agreed with.

"Yes... do you think my warriors would have been imprisoned in the capital as well?"

"Well... you'd have to ask the Fire Lord, seeing that she was the one who oversaw all that. I think we might just be able to go and speak with her, if we really are her guests." he noted, and began walking down through the hallway, "I'm unsure where we're going, but I'm sure we'll run into somebody who can give us directions."

She followed after the warrior, glancing around the hallway as they made their way down its length; the whole place was quite dim, with only torches on the walls to light the place up. Everyone wore dark clothes or red in the palace, though that just told them they were either guards or servants. Suki got some side-eyes from them, though she guessed that was because of their attire; the red tunics and dark pants they wore were not much better than the prisoner's garbs that they wore back in the Boiling rock, though they were a bit better made.

When they reached a fork in the hallway, Suki was unsure what to do, with each path leading off towards other doorways, of which she couldn't say what was behind. Servants came and went, but they didn't see anyone familiar yet. Not Aang, nor any of his friends. She guessed if they were staying in the palace, they probably had some section to themselves, so they didn't have to mingle with the Fire Nation officials or the servants who did their bidding.

"Ah, new guests." she heard somebody address them; it was a servant, who was wearing fancier robes than the ones she had seen so far; he was an older man, telling Suki he had to have some authority in the palace, though he gave a bow of courtesy to them.

"And what brings you to the palace?" he asked the pair, Hakoda and Suki looking at each other momentarily before the Water Tribesman stepped forward.

"I'm Chief Hakoda." he identified himself, "We were taken here from the Boiling Rock on the Fire Lord's orders." he explained why they were there, and the servant's eyes widened.

"Oh... so, you must have something to do with the Avatar." he realised, not sounding too pleased, before eyeing them both, "Did you fight during the eclipse?"

"I did." Hakoda admitted, "Suki was imprisoned by the Fire Lord a few months before then." he clarified, saying all that needed to be said; she still felt a little shame at being defeated by the Princess and her lackeys.

"That would explain why you were there." he realised, before gesturing down the hallway, "The Avatar has taken up residence in the diplomatic suites." he explained, "Where dignitaries from the other nations came to visit the Fire Lord... before the war, that is."

"It's that way?" Suki pressed him, and he nodded.

"Follow the hallway to the end, at the gallery, and go left, then make your way past the palace gardens. That's where you'll find him, and the rest of his entourage."

"The rest of the prisoners from the eclipse invasion were freed, were they not?" Hakoda asked, and the servant nodded.

"Yes... some of them are staying here in the palace, while some barracks have been freed up for the rest of them in the centre of the caldera." he explained what had happened to those who were captured.

"Thank you." the Chief acknowledged his aid, before he began walking down the hallway; Suki followed after him, following the directions he had given them.

They reached the gallery, as the servant had called it, a large chamber where there hung some massive tapestries of the previous Fire Lords, though Suki only knew one their names: Fire Lord Ozai, the reigning Fire Lord before Sozin's Comet, the one that Aang had apparently beaten. The new Fire Lord did not have a tapestry yet, though it was clear that they had been moved along, with new space opened up for her future portrait.

"To think they almost got what they wanted." Hakoda mumbled under his breath as he eyed the images, before he turned to the left.

He began walking down that way, when somebody ran into him out of the darkness; he stepped back, seeming confused, and Suki paced around, wondering what had just happened. She saw a young woman had walked into Hakoda, and had bowed her head; she wasn't a servant, given she was wearing what seemed to be ordinary robes for a Fire Nation citizen, if a bit fancy. Her best guess was that she was a noblewoman, presumably some kind of courtier who wanted to earn the Fire Lord's favour. Suki was lacking in knowledge about how palaces worked, other than the very old and presumably outdated tales from Ba Sing Se that lingered in her home village.

"Sorry... I was just in a bit of a rush." she admitted, and the Water Tribesman waved off her concern.

"Oh, it's no issue. The gardens are this way, right?" he asked her, and she confirmed what they had already been told with a nod.

She didn't recognise the girl immediately, but when she raised her head and showed her face, seeming guilty about having walked into him, the Kyoshi Warrior knew at once who she was looking at.

"It's you." she narrowed her eyes on her, knowing her as one of the Fire Lord's lackeys who had helped capture them when they were helping Appa.

"Me?" she looked at Suki with confusion, "Do we know each other?"

"Urgh." she sighed, realising that she probably didn't remember her, or only saw her with her makeup on.

"Sorry... I'm confused." Hakoda spoke up, "Suki, you know this girl?"

"She beat up me and my friends with the Prin- I mean, the Fire Lord." she explained, pointing at her, "So, are you here to kiss her toes?"

"Uh... no, not really." she admitted, before her eyes lit up, "Oh, you're a Kyoshi Warrior! I didn't recognise you without the makeup." she realised, before her eager expression shifted to one of fear, "Please don't hit me."

"I-" she began, wondering if she had it in her to attack an unarmed girl, over a past slight; given that the girl could paralyse people with her fingers, she would rather avoid it, "I wasn't going to."

"I'm- uh, going to go along, but feel free to sort out your grievances, Suki." Hakoda suggested, and she crossed her arms, watching him leave as she wondered what she ought to say to the girl.

"I didn't realise you were out of prison." Ty Lee conceded, and Suki scoffed.

"The Fire Lord freed me."

"Wait... really?" she asked, sounding quite surprised by the revelation, "So... did the Avatar do it for you?"

"That's what we're guessing." she confirmed, "Or Sokka."

"I have no idea who that is." she admitted with a sheepish smile.

"A Water Tribe boy... the Avatar's friend. That was his dad." she gestured to Hakoda as he walked down the hallway slowly, giving her ample opportunity to catch up.

"Oh!" the girl's eyes lit up, "The cute one."

Suki's brow twitched upon hearing her say that, knowing that the girl in front of her had stolen the identity of a Kyoshi Warrior, and that Sokka had faced them, at least according to his father.

"You better stop talking." she warned her, "And if I hear you tried anything on Sokka, I'm going to find you." she added, stepping closer.

"Oh, well, I live in the capital, it won't be that hard." she admitted with a smile, though her face shifted as she realised what she just said, "Oops." she murmured, before pacing away.

Suki wanted to give another threat, but knew that it was pointless; for all she knew, she'd never see the girl again.

"It was nice seeing you again, Suki." she farewelled her, and the Kyoshi Warrior let out a sigh, thoroughly grated by her presence; she was imagining what she had done in the uniform of her warriors, and how she could have tricked Sokka and the others into thinking she was one of them.

It was an offence to her honour, more than anything else, but her anger evaporated as she remembered why she was in the palace. Sokka was there, along with the others; she'd finally get to see him again, and that brightened her mood drastically. She paced off down the hallway and stopped in front of Hakoda, who had a confused look on his face.

"Are you alright, Suki?" he asked her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"It doesn't really feel like we've won." she admitted, before glancing back the way the girl had gone, "She's just walking around like nothing's happened."

"Oh, well, you can't say anything until you speak to the Fire Lord." he argued, and she almost laughed.

"Am I going to?"

"Well, if you want to. I'm guessing from all that you have... well, a grudge." he assumed quite correctly; Suki had been waiting to get back at Azula and have her just desserts.

She was not a spiteful person, but after all she had suffered through at the Boiling Rock, she wanted to make sure the Fire Lord knew what she had done and suffered because of it. She guessed that Aang and the others had made sure she had already learnt her place. The shame she must have felt from being defeated by the Avatar would have been almost enough, if it weren't for the fact she was still the Fire Lord, ruling a whole country.

"Yeah, I guess I do." she conceded, and paced ahead of him, "Let's just get to the others. I- I just don't want to think about her and all of what happened."

"Understandable. There are many things in life I'd prefer to forget... but forgetting those bad things means forgetting what drives you." he suggested, and Suki's eyes widened, realising just from the way he was looking at her that he was thinking about something terrible.

"What happened to you?"

"The Fire Nation killed my wife. I never found the killer... I've never had justice. The world is cruel, but I won't become cruel because of it. That wouldn't be right for my children, or for my people." he explained himself calmly, which immediately put a lot of Sokka's seemingly dickish and abrasive actions in context.

"I- I never knew." she gasped, wondering if Sokka had been so hard pressed to prove himself because he believed he couldn't protect his family- he was really worried about Katara, not his pride.

"They wouldn't like to talk about it." he acknowledged, before smiling at her, "Don't worry about it. I'm sure that we will have our justice eventually."

"I hope so." admitted her feelings, genuinely feeling that after all they had struggled through, some justice was due; wherever the killer was, he ought to face justice, even if it wasn't at the hands of Hakoda or his tribe.

They made their way down the hallway, which was long and boring to do, but eventually they reached the gardens, which were at the very least pretty. The plants were bountiful and varied, with flowers, pools of water, and small artificial streams coming out of higher pools. There were even small pagodas, pathways, and bridges, all throughout the gardens, leaving a lot to explore, though she resisted any urge she had to step inside, knowing what was really important.

When they reached the doorway leading into the so-called diplomatic suites, there were a pair of earthbender soldiers standing duty; they didn't recognise Suki, but Hakoda they immediately knew. The two fighters almost cheered, rushing towards him.

"Chief Hakoda, you're finally here!" one of them acknowledged, "We heard that you had been sent to the Boiling Rock and feared for the worst."

"The stories might have been exaggerated... I couldn't have hoped to escape the place, but the guards weren't afraid of us. It was... boring, mostly." he explained himself, before glancing past them, "Where are my children?"

"They're just inside, I think Teo and Sokka were playing Pai Sho." he explained, and Hakoda nodded.

"Well, I'm going." he decided, before gesturing to Suki, "This is Suki, the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors."

"Oh!" one of the fighters perked up, "I met your comrades in prison. They're in the city with the other fighters. I can see if I can find their address for you." he explained, Suki smiling brightly as she realised she was getting all she could ask for.

"That's exactly what I wanted. I just wanted to go see the Avatar and his friends first, but yes, I would like some directions to my warriors."

"Of course, I'll go ask around when we switch guard posts." he explained his intentions, "But yes, they're safe, if that's what you were worried about."

"I was." she confirmed, before turning to face Hakoda, "So, are you ready?"

"It hasn't been that long." he admitted, "I was gone for much longer last time." he added, sounding disappointed, "At least it was worth something." he added quietly, and they stepped through the doorway into the next section of the palace.

As they paced through there were a few more fighters, none of whom she recognised, though they were all either Earth Kingdom or Water Tribe fighters. There were a few people even wearing what looked like leaves and bark for clothes which was some of the oddest stuff she'd seen in a while. They noticed her confused looks and she immediately averted her gaze.

She glanced into open doorways, looking for any sign of the group; she didn't see anyone, other than a few more fighters, or other people who seemed to be noncombatants. They paced around a corner, which led to another hallway, and down it she spotted somebody they were looking for. She could see Katara speaking with one of the Water Tribe warriors, and both of them turned around to face them, seeming a little confused, probably due to their plain Fire Nation clothes.

However, that only lasted a moment, as the man almost shouted out his name, "Hakoda!"

And a mere moment later, his daughter rushed forward, "Dad!" she exclaimed, Suki feeling a little embarrassed standing there as they embraced in a hug; a few moments later, the man who had said his name also came in for a hug.

"It's good to see you, old friend. It seems the public servants are still listening to her orders even if they sound wrong." he acknowledged how they had gotten there in jest.

"And it's good to see you too, Bato." he addressed his friend back, before Katara had the chance to realise that Suki was standing right in front of her.

"Suki!" she exclaimed her name and gave her a hug, "Sorry, I still forget what you look like without the makeup."

The Kyoshi Warrior cringed but accepted the hug, "Yeah, that's not the first time I've got that today."

"How are you guys?" she asked them both, "I mean... you were in prison."

"Not as bad as you'd think but... it's prison. I'm sure benders would have it far worse off." he noted, and Suki almost laughed at that; she had never taken much consideration to the benefit of being a non-bender in a prison, because the Fire Nation would likely use overbearing, draconian methods to restrain any earthbender or waterbender that they found.

"It was boring, mostly. Lots of crappy chores." the Kyoshi Warrior explained what she found frustrating about the place, "And the Warden... Spirits he was stuck up his own arse."

"I know why they had him in charge, but eventually he was going to have a prison riot on his hands." Hakoda argued, crossing his arms before turning to face Suki, who had been smiling at the thought of it, "You would have found that fun?"

"Definitely. I like fighting."

"No wonder Toph kissed you." Katara joked, making the Chief snort out in amusement.

"Please, I'd prefer not to talk about that." she raised a hand, before she tilted her head, wondering if she had earned it, even if it was intended for Sokka, that being the far more amusing aspect of the interaction, "I mean, I did save her life."

"Let me find her and ask her why she did it." the Water Tribe girl joked, and Suki rolled her eyes, before glancing past her.

"Where are the others, anyway?" she asked, and Katara pointed behind her.

"Just go down the hallway and to the right. Sokka's there." she explained, Suki immediately pacing down the hallway.

She turned the corner, and as she had heard, he was playing Pai Sho with somebody- Teo, according to one of the fighters outside, a young man seated in a wheelchair. The boy turned his gaze up, as she was in his line of sight, while Sokka had his head turned away. She gestured to the Water Tribesman, and he must have realised that Teo was distracted, turning his head before his eyes widened.

"Y-you..." he stammered, rising to his feet before he ran over to her and hugged her tightly, "You're here!" he exclaimed, before she grabbed him by the chin, moving his head away from her shoulder so they could lock eyes.

"Yes, I am." she confirmed, before the two of them leaned in and kissed each other on the lips; she felt her heart flutter, but her mind was quickly turned back to the situation she found herself in.

"So... how do you like the palace?"

"It's stupidly big." she admitted the first thing that came to mind, "And I thought the Boiling Rock was big."

"Oh, yeah..." he mumbled, his expression shifting as he recalled that she was just in prison, "How- what am I saying... I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"Yeah it sucked." she admitted, before smiling at him, not wanting to ruin the mood, "But we won... I mean you won. You guys actually defeated the Fire Lord."

"The Phoenix King." he corrected her, "Or as I called him, the Loser Lord."

"Nice one." she approved of the insulting title he had given him, "And how did that actually work? I mean, Aang beat him, right?"

"Yeah, he took away his bending while we went off and destroyed all his airships... except the one we came back here in." he explained what he'd achieved, Suki's eyes widening as it clicked in her head what he had just said.

"Took away his bending?" she asked, finding the notion absurd, "You mean, like what that- urgh." she recalled the girl she had ran into earlier.

"Oh, the jumpy girl who paralyses people?" he asked her, and she nodded, "No, it's nothing like that. It was all glowy and stuff. They both turned blue and red, and then he just fell over and couldn't bend."

"So, weird spirit stuff?" she guessed, and he nodded.

"Yeah, that's what I thought." he agreed, before glancing behind her, his expression brightening, "Dad, you're here too!" he exclaimed, pacing past her to hug his father.

"Thanks for getting us freed." Hakoda acknowledged Sokka's help with a smile, before giving his son a pat on the shoulder, "The war's finally over."

"Yeah, it is." he agreed, before turning his gaze back towards Suki, "But we've got to stay here a little longer."

"Because of the Fire Lord?" she asked, and he shook his head.

"No, not her, but because this peace really doesn't seem like it will last. Somebody's going to blink, and I don't want the Fire Nation to think they're really justified to fight another war." he explained his views, before pacing back over to where Teo was sitting, "Sorry for the interruption, we can continue now, Teo."

"That's okay, Sokka." he reassured him, "You've been waiting a while for them to get here."

"Yeah, over a week." he clarified, "Hopefully bureaucracy didn't get in the way of you getting here."

"No, things were running pretty well with the Fire Lord's authority behind us." Hakoda assured him, "We were treated well, even if the people doing the treatment didn't like it."

"Heh, well, it serves them right. If they think we're inferior, then they can go cry when they have to follow our orders." he declared confidently, before eyeing his pieces.

"And how's Pai Sho going for you, Son?" Hakoda asked as he leaned over behind the chair, watching as his son looked over the pieces.

"This game is confusing... but I like it. Hopefully I'll get better at it before somebody important threatens me with a game."

"Threatens you?" Suki asked, holding back a laugh.

"Pai Sho is like war. If you lose, it makes you look stupid."

"I don't think the Fire Nation just lost because they were stupid." Hakoda disagreed with his son, and Sokka laughed.

"They tried to beat the Avatar, Dad. How do you think that's supposed to go?"


A few weeks of walking and working had allowed Zuko to recover much of the strength he had lost since being injured in the destruction of his ship. However, the paucity of money had led to a scarce diet, meaning he had already lost a lot of weight. He tried to exercise his firebending as often as he could, and made sure to spend as much of his money as he could spare on food. Once he had bought a proper tent, or more accurately, bought what he needed to make one, he felt more comfortable staying outdoors, even if he was afraid some animal would snoop on him while he was sleeping, or worse, bandits.

However, his luck seemed to hold out, and he continued on his journey to nowhere; after losing everything, that was all he could muster himself to do. He walked through the hinterland of the colonies, seeing the poverty, anguish, and general sourness of the place, and realised that he needed to find somewhere he could stay comfortably. At least then he wouldn't be barely eating enough food and could concern himself with anything beyond bear survival.

So, when he came upon another poor Earth Kingdom village, a bit bigger than the others he'd visited thus far, making him more hopeful that he'd find work. There any Fire Nation troops stationed around, he felt a little concerned, just like the previous times. The people usually weren't the most receptive to him, but as his shaved hair grew a little longer and he adopted grey and brown clothes, he seemed to look less obviously like a foreigner. He'd gotten less suspicious looks, and was even able to get himself a few odd jobs, usually hauling things for people, labouring in fields or helping with construction work, which he'd grown uncomfortably familiar with.

He didn't know his way around all the tools or how they made all the pieces fit together, but he understood the basics. That was enough to help him find work in the colonial towns, but in the poor little Earth Kingdom villages, they weren't in need of new houses, and unless the Fire Nation had attacked the village recently, they didn't need repairs either. He knew he could have just stayed in one of the larger colonies, but he was afraid that somebody would recognise him; his face wouldn't be that well known, but if they just looked at one side and compared it to any statue or portrait of the Fire Lord, they would be hard pressed not to find the similarities.

After arriving in the village, he decided to sit himself down by the centre, and hoped that he could get some water from the well before he looked around for work or a place to stay. Zuko was just sitting there, eating some berries that he had found earlier in the day. He had had to ask a few people for advice on what local berries and fruits were edible, given that plants had begun to sprout fruits with the warming weather.

That was when an older man noticed him sitting, carrying some buckets that he was presumably going to fill with water at the well; he turned to face Zuko, and looked at him with a suspicious face, "Young man, might I ask something of you?"

"Yes?" he asked, not wanting to be impolite, "Do you need some help with those?" he presumed, seeing that the man was visibly sweating and seemed to not be in the best of health.

"Uh... actually, yes, I do." he confirmed, "My back's been giving me a lot of trouble"

"Give them here." he offered, his hands out, "I have nothing better to do." he assured him, though he knew that paid work that would assure him food and water was something better; being a stranger, he doubted he could find anything easily, so helping an old man was a start.

"You have more respect than most of the children in this village." the old man noted with a warm smile; that face reminded him of his uncle, and he turned his eyes away as he picked up the buckets, and walked them over to the well, the old man following behind- they were empty, so he guessed he'd have to help the man take them back to his home.

Zuko felt a little awkward carrying the buckets, and noticed he had certainly got the villagers attention. They were whispering amongst themselves and chatted, presumably about him; whether they knew he was from the Fire Nation was unclear, but he hoped that even if they knew, they wouldn't try and punish him for it. He had left his titles behind, and wanted to be treated like any other person; not as the Blue Spirit, and not as Prince Zuko.

When reached the well, he set down the buckets, and grabbed the rope that hoisted the bucket there. He lowered that one down into the well on its pulley; it didn't take him too long to reach the bottom, the water making a soft but audible splash. Once he could feel that the bucket was full, he pulled it up and poured the water out into one of the buckets. The old man nodded and picked that one up.

"I'll get a headstart." he explained himself, before pacing away down the path, his pace quite slow.

By the time Zuko had lowered the bucket, raised it again and filled the other empty bucket, he was only about two dozen paces away, still well within the village centre. He picked up the other bucket and took it along with him, readjusting the bag on his back so there wasn't too much imbalance in the weight. When he reached the old man, he offered to take the other bucket; he smiled at him and handed it to Zuko, who had to slow his pace with two full buckets of water, given they might spill over if he stopped himself suddenly.

"How far away is your house?" he asked the old man, who gestured up the hill slope; the path wound its way up before crossing over a crest.

"Just on the other side of the hill." he clarified, "Thank you, again."

He shrugged his shoulders, not really wanting his thanks; he would have much preferred a sip of his water. He knew he could always come back and scoop some from the well, but he knew the locals wouldn't like an outsider stealing their water. The trip over to the old man's house was at a leisurely pace, allowing Zuko to have a look at the variety of houses in the village; the place didn't seem to be all too poor, with larger homes and plots of farmland surrounding them on each side. He noticed that a few farmers had spotted him, and looked at him cautiously as they tilled their fields, though their attention quickly turned back to their work.

"Boy, might I ask... what happened to that face of yours?" the old man asked him as they crested the hill; he'd had to answer the question so many times that he decided to start making up new stories, some with a sprinkling of truth, but mostly just to keep people off of his back.

"A firebender burnt me in a fight." he gave him one of his technically accurate explanations, though he failed to clarify that it was an Agni Kai, and his father was the one who had marked his face; he did not want to lie about the events, so he kept the details vague on purpose.

"Oh." his eyes widened as he turned around, "I had thought so."

"I don't want to be treated differently because of it." he explained his thoughts, which were also truthful; the benefit of being in the Earth Kingdom was that they lacked any conceptualisation of an Agni Kai and the dishonour he bore by being marked.

"There's a lot of people who have been hurt by the war here, boy." he explained with a slow voice, as if to give more importance to his words, "The Fire Nation does not treat anyone fairly... but I hope I can."

"What, are you going to give me some food or something?" he asked, his words a partial jest, but still a genuine request; his stomach was rumbling, and after eating only what he could scavenge for a few days, he was hungry for a real meal.

"Oh, I guess I could." he acknowledged, "I have some leftover bread. Would that suffice?" he asked him, and Zuko nodded.

"I would be grateful." he assured him, and the old man chuckled.

"Eh, I'm not trying to hire you or anything. Me and my family don't have much in terms of money." he warned him, and the usually serious Prince let himself smile.

"I hope the spirits bring you better fortunes this spring." he gave him what he felt like an empty platitude, but he thought the old man needed to hear it, with his sorry state and kindly nature.

He and the old man crossed over the crest, and he could see him point off the path to a house; it wasn't too small, and had a small garden in the front, which had been recently tilled and laid with seeds. At the front door of the house he noticed an older woman, who he guessed to be the man's wife; she was sitting on a stool, mending a piece of fabric, though her attention was quickly given over to Zuko as he approached the house with the buckets.

"Who's this, Dear?" she asked the man, who gestured to the stranger.

"He didn't give me his name, but he gave me a helping hand."

"It's no issue, really." he assured him, before walking over to the entrance of the house, where a small wooden deck was built out over the ground; he placed the buckets down there, near the woman, who smiled at him and grabbed one of the buckets with both hands.

"You have our thanks, young man." she gave a platitude, and Zuko nodded, before stepping away, knowing the man had offered bread, "Were you going to give anything back to this kind stranger in return, Hen?" she asked him, and his head perked up.

"Oh, yes, the bread." he recalled, "Just give me a moment, young man." he excused himself, and paced through the front door.

Zuko stood there awkwardly for a few moments before sitting himself down on the edge of the deck.

"Hen's had trouble with his back lately... and our sons are away working in the colonies. So, he's had to do all the work himself." the woman spoke up, explaining why the man had been retrieving the water in the first place, "You are a kind boy to offer him help."

"I- I'm just doing what I have to." he admitted the truth; the woman grimaced and stepped closer, pointing out the bucket she was holding.

"Do you need a drink?"

He remained silent for a few moments, unsure whether he wanted to stoop so low, but his dry throat was telling him to ignore any sense of dignity that he had.

"Y-yes, please." he begged, dropping his head down, and she scooped some water from the bucket with a cup and handed it to him.

Zuko took it into his hands and drank it, letting himself breathe out slowly once he was done.

"Thank you." he acknowledged her kindness; he might have retrieved the water, but it was not his- he'd learned that quickly enough when he had gone through other villages.

Zuko turned around, hearing footsteps approaching; Hen paced out of the house with a piece of bread in hand. He bowed down towards Zuko and offered it to him, his head down, as if he were ashamed.

"I'm sorry but this was all I could spare."

"I understand." he assured him, taking the bread into his hand before he stood up, "I best be going... I need to find some work while I'm in this village."

"Where did you come from?"

"The colonies." he explained, which was technically true; the village was on the outskirts, and he imagined people came to and from there all the time.

"Well, maybe you should stay here a while. We're missing a lot of people." Hen suggested, "They pay better in the colonies. Why aren't you there?"

"Family issues." he told him the truth, but didn't give him anything of substance.

"Ah, that's a tale as old as time." he noted with a bittersweet smile.

"Hey, Hen!" Zuko heard somebody call out to the old man.

He turned around, noticing a farmer who was carrying a sack and a few tools; he waved to Hen, and the old man waved back.

"How's your day been, Chu?"

"Ah, alright. I'm just wondering who this boy is. Did you hire him to help with your boys away?"

"No, he just offered a hand." Hen clarified, and Chu smiled at Zuko, approving of his work.

"Well that's kind of you... you seem like you're in need of work."

"Yes I am." he confirmed, stepping away from the house as he eyed the stranger, "Did you have some for me?"

"Well, seeing how nice you were in helping my friend here, yes, I'd say so." he confirmed, before whistling, gaining the attention of somebody else who was walking along the road with a basket.

"Kuang!" he called out him, and Zuko realised he was a farmer, "I've got somebody who can help clear the empty fields."

The farmer paced along closer and eyed up Zuko, "You seem healthy enough, stranger." he observed, "How about you come with us back around to our fields? We can get you some food and a place to sleep with your things." he gestured to his bag, and Zuko nodded.

"Thank you for the help, sir." he acknowledged his offer, and he laughed.

"Ah, no need to be so formal, kid. You're the one who'll be helping us. We want to start putting seeds in the ground, so I'm hoping you could stick around for that."

"Me and my brother are in dire need of some hands out in the field. Not many people come around to our village, so we'd appreciate the help." Chu explained, before glancing at Zuko's extremities; he still had burn marks on his skin from the explosion, as well as the fight a few weeks after with Zhao's personal guard, "You might want those looked at."

"I've had worse." he assured him, and the farmer's face became tense as he looked him eye to eye.

"I see." he mumbled, before he stroked his beard, "Come with us." he gestured for him to follow, and Zuko had little choice; he needed the work, and taking it from somebody who pitied him and thought him an upstanding Earth Kingdom citizen was better than stealing from somebody.

He followed the brothers up the slope, but turned to farewell Hen and his wife, who waved back at him with smiles on their faces. He felt an odd sense of accomplishment; he hadn't completed a firebending set, beaten somebody in a spar, or made any progress on his quest. None of those things seemed overly relevant to him anymore; firebending was still front and centre in his mind, but not because he wanted to be strong. It was merely something to distract himself with; after leaving that ship triumphant, his feelings quickly turned to anguish.

His uncle was still dead; he was still forced to cooperate with Azula's demands and leave his life behind, even if he wanted it back. At least, part of him did, declaring that with his honour restored, he could feel a semblance of wholeness; another part wanted to be done with it all, and live just as his uncle wanted him to. Free of burdens, anger, and obligations; that was how he lived, barring his duties to Zuko himself, and he had actually seemed to be happy, despite all that had happened in his own life. He lost his throne, his son, and the great siege that he had hoped to end the war with.

His mind turned away from his uncle as Chu spoke up, though he had missed his words, "Sorry, I was a little... lost."

"Song!" he spoke somebody's name, and Zuko glanced ahead, noticing that there was a teenage girl carrying a basket walking up the road, "Just who I wanted to see."

"What is it, Chu?"

"This young man has some burns that need to be looked at... he's going to be helping us in the fields, so we hoped that you could make an exception and help him out." he explained, "It's probably not serious enough for him to go to the hospital."

She glanced past Chu to look at Zuko, noting his rolled up sleeves and the burns that marked his forearms, "Yes... I could do that." she confirmed, "I'll come around later, I have to get back to work."

She then walked past Zuko, who eyed her momentarily, wondering what she thought of him; he had every reason to think she might suspect him, given the way she was intently eyeing him, but once she continued down the road she stopped. He was standing there for perhaps a little too long, as Kuang tapped him on the shoulder.

"Come on." he prodded him, "Oh, and we never got your name."

"Um... Lee." he quickly decided on a pseudonym, knowing that was the most common name in the Fire Nation, and was probably reasonably common in the Earth Kingdom as well.

"Ah, that'll be easy to remember." Kuang made a joke, elbowing him before the two of them continued on after his brother.

"Yeah, that's what everyone says." Zuko mumbled, before scrunching his lips, "How much work do you have for me, anyways?"

"Depends on how quickly you can get it done? Have you ever cleared a field before?" Kuang asked him.

"Uh... no. I've done some construction work, that's about it." he admitted the truth, and both brothers laughed.

"Ah, don't worry, you'll get the hang of it pretty quickly. It's tough work, but straightforward enough." Chu assured him, his words sounding more like a warning of the struggle he was going to endure, but he knew that once it was over, he'd have somewhere safe to stay, and some food to eat.

"As long as I'm getting food, I won't complain." he assured him, and he grimaced; he must have realised how desperate he was, and Zuko could see the guilt in his eyes.

"Hopefully we can find something better for you to do later. Nobody wants to cross the country to just have to pull out weeds." he suggested, and his sympathy didn't really help Zuko, nor his mood, which was surprisingly bolstered, though perhaps he really just had been that thirsty.

So, he said the first thing that came to mind, and what had been repeating ever since he had escaped Zhao's ship.

"I'll live."


The report lying before Azula did not give her the most positive news; she had been wondering ever since she received the initial news of her father's defeat, how he fared after his defeat, now that he was effectively a prisoner of the Avatar. She had only realised after her imprisonment that he had had his bending removed, which made him a non-threat in the eyes of the Avatar and his lackeys. That ignored her father's physical prowess and fitness, which was no joke, though she imagined that without his bending, his motivation would have been sapped entirely.

That was what the report confirmed; he had been effectively non-verbal for the past week he had been imprisoned, only giving grumbles and simple responses when questioned by physicians. He was clearly angry and did not want to interact with others, brooding in his cell. That was what the physician's report told her; she wasn't even meant to have access to it, and only got it because the palace physicians were the ones who were treating him, and she was able to access their records at will, even if it were only intended for the Avatar's eyes.

She did not know if the Avatar's act of removing his bending could be undone, though the way it was spoken about told her that it was impossible to return him his firebending. She did know, however, if she was to follow him as Fire Lord, she would prefer to have his aid rather than to lack it. Even if she now had all the power she had ever desired, she felt an urge to receive his advice. She was facing so many complex issues, the kinds she had never expected to face, as the war was coming to a close.

So, Azula decided to write up a coded message to her father, knowing that he would understand the references she would make, and only he alone would. She knew that the physicians could give it to him, but if it was outwardly a letter from her, then it was unlikely to reach him, given the prison guards would be well aware that the Avatar was the one with authority over Ozai.

The message she wrote was straightforward and to the point; though it was disguised as a description of the events of the past week, written in a formal and ostensibly neutral tone, each line's first, second, and so on word really told the message that she wanted him to read. It asked him a simple question: how could she win without starting another war. She knew the answer would be complicated, but she also was going to ask the physicians to transcribe everything he said, nominally to assure the Avatar that he was psychologically defeated. Perhaps her father truly was, but if he wasn't he would give her the coded messages in response, telling her exactly what he thought was necessary.

She gave the message to the physician, who warned her that he would have to tell the Avatar that she was communicating with Ozai. She feigned nonchalance, and told him to do so, before dismissing him from her office. She thought she was going to be alone for some time, and decided that she ought to read through the newest reports coming in from the more distant fronts in the Earth Kingdom, but was rudely interrupted by another knock upon her door.

"What is it?" she snarled, "This better be important."

She heard one of her guards clearing his throat, before pushing the door ajar, "Your majesty, you have my deepest apologies, but Lady Ty Lee is here to see you."

She almost scrunched up the paper beneath her hands, and held her tongue; part of her wanted to demand Ty Lee leave, but she knew she couldn't hold off speaking to her for much longer. She had had little social interaction barring her own servants, the Dai Li agents who reported to her, and her captors. So, she relented, and raised her hand.

"Let her in." she allowed, and the guard opened the door.

Ty Lee was standing in front of her, wearing proper noble's robes instead of her usual tunic and pants, which were more suitable for her acrobatics. She had her hair in its usual braid, and had that usual innocent look in her eye; that told Azula that it was her, and not just somebody who happened to look like her. She realised that assumption wasn't a fair one, given that she had six identical sisters who also wore their hair in the same fashion, and had the same look to their faces.

"You are Ty Lee, and not just one of her sisters, correct?" she asked her, and her face contorted, holding back a laugh.

"They're not even in the capital, Azula." she reminded her, "My parents sent them after me, and they haven't come back yet."

She had admittedly forgotten that piece of information, as it barely concerned her; she had recalled feeling happy for her friend, if only for a moment, knowing that she would have her parent's undivided attention, even if they were worried that their other daughters had yet to return.

"You forgot." she observed after Azula remained silent for a little too long.

She grit her teeth and pointed to the chair in front of her, "Sit down." she ordered her, and Ty Lee cautiously followed her directions; that meant that at the very least, she was willing to listen to her still.

She had wondered if she was taking the opportunity of her imprisonment and defeat by the Avatar to disassociate herself from Azula, but it seemed that wasn't the case.

"Why are you here?" she pressed her friend, wanting a reason before she decided how to proceed with the conversation; she could have had many different motivations to come to the palace, and wanted to know what they were before she told her anything.

Azula, even if her authority as Fire Lord was questionable, was still first and foremost a keeper of secrets. She knew things that the rest of her nation did not, and intended to keep it that way, knowing that having control over the flow of information would make her efforts in ruling her people and following the Avatar's demands for peace easier. Even if she was furious that she had to comply with his demands, she had taken a rational stance on it, knowing that he could just as easily depose her and find somebody willing to do his dirty work.

"I was worried about you." she clarified, and Azula almost laughed.

"Oh, I'm truly flattered." she raised a hand to her sternum, "But as you can clearly see, I am the Fire Lord, and this is my nation. I have everything I could possibly ask for."

Ty Lee looked at her with a suspicious face, as if she didn't believe her; Azula was trying to keep up her visage of self-confidence and assuredness, knowing that without it, she would feel like a weak fool, something that her father had instilled into her as the antithesis of what it meant to be a ruler. She wasn't even thinking of his expectations any longer, but rather, the expectations of her people, and the duties she had to undertake in their name. To be the Fire Lord, she had to be sure of herself, even when she wasn't.

"Azula." she spoke her name more softly, and she turned her eyes away; she was pitying her, and she didn't know if that was better than feeling nothing at all.

"You know what you did." she reminded her, "You ran away, I didn't."

Ty Lee grimaced, and seemed to genuinely feel bad about what she had done, turning her eyes down, "I'm sorry, Azula. I didn't mean to be- I was afraid."

"Fear is no reason to run." she retorted, "I needed people by my side." she argued, "If our lines break, we lose, and we lost." she argued, snarling at the thought of what the Council of Ministers had done, "The Council, in all their grand wisdom, declared an armistice, instead of rightly trying to fight off the Avatar. I know that it might have been fruitless, but at least, they would have retained their honour." she spoke her mind, before narrowing her eyes upon her friend, "So, let me ask you again, why are you here?"

"I- I didn't lie." she snapped back, now sounding a little agitated; getting Ty Lee mad was a challenge, to the point that Azula could probably only count the times she'd seen it on one hand, despite being friends with her for nearly a decade.

"Your fears are misplaced." she raised a finger, "You should be fearing for the state of the world."

"The war's over... isn't it? Isn't that a good thing?" she asked, and Azula scoffed.

"Do you think winning a war for ninety nine years and losing on the hundredth is still winning?" she asked her, and Ty Lee looked more confused.

"I don't... Winning? What good did winning do?"

"For a time, our authority was unquestioned." she acknowledged, "Ba Sing Se was ours, the Earth Kingdom bent in submission, and the Water Tribes couldn't fathom to stand against us... yet, the war persisted in the shadows. My father sought to bring that to an end, and he was destroyed."

"So, what, do you want that for yourself?" Ty Lee asked, her directness a surprise, but Azula guessed she had been hyping herself up for days to return to the palace, for the very conversation they were having at that moment.

"No, I don't want to lose my bending, or die... I want to rule my nation." she declared, raising her hands up, "As you can see, I am."

"Then why haven't you left the palace?" she asked, and Azula scrunched her lips.

"Until matters with the Avatar are settled, I must remain here." she explained, before raising a finger, "And by that, I don't mean to say I'm a prisoner. I made it very clear the other day that I am not. What I am is the ruler of the Fire Nation, who is deserving of his respect. They will stay here, and not cause any more destruction to our nation's works, and I will find a way to achieve peace without making everything we have done moot." she stressed her intentions, laying them out clearly so that Ty Lee could form her own response.

She sat there wordlessly for a time, looking down and around, trying to find the words to her thoughts; she probably hadn't thought too much about what she was going to say, or perhaps didn't expect her to act so peacefully. The Avatar had proved his point, and she didn't need him to do it again.

"So, you're going to make sure we... win?" she raised a brow, seeming unsure of herself.

"Not a victory on the battlefield, but a victory nonetheless." she emphasised the nature of her plan, "I don't expect you to understand or care for the political intricacies of this matter, but I will make sure the future of the Fire Nation is secure."

"Is Ba Sing Se really out of your control already?" she asked, and Azula narrowed her eyes.

"The Dai Li confirmed it." she declared, and raised her hands up and placed them together, "In time, the Earth Kingdom will prepare itself to attack us again. If they don't get what they want out of the peace settlement, then they will have no choice but to attack. They will need to show strength in the eyes of their people, or the Earth King's legitimacy will vanish instantly." she explained what she knew would eventually follow, and what she needed to prevent.

"So... you're saying the war isn't over." she realised, and the Fire Lord raised a finger.

"No, what I am saying is that it may not be over." she clarified, "The war can either be settled by words, or by the surrender of one side." she warned her, "I am not intending to surrender to anyone."

"But the Av-" she began, Azula raising a hand to silence her.

"The Avatar forced me to cooperate... but that won't work if the Earth Kingdom attacks us. I don't want to be in that scenario, because that would imply that they had the confidence that they could win the war. They won't, because I am going to make a settlement that they can't refuse."

"Can't refuse?" Ty Lee asked, sounding confused by her words, "If you can't threaten them with more war, then why can't they refuse?"

"Because if I make them look like the villains in the eyes of their saviour, then who will he side with?"

"The Earth Kingdom, because they are his allies." she retorted, not giving the answer Azula wanted; she may have been right, but she didn't know the Avatar.

The boy was driven by his heart, and by his sense of justice. If the Fire Nation provided the Earth Kingdom with aid and support, and made actions to ameliorate the political issues between them and the other nations, then in the case of a new war, the Avatar wouldn't be nearly as inclined to support the Earth King. Proving her enemies to be fools was part of the plan, because she knew that the Avatar wasn't an idiot. Naive, maybe, but stupid, she wouldn't dare to say that when he and his friends had successfully destroyed her father's fleet of airships, the one weapon she might have otherwise been able to threaten the Earth Kingdom with after Ozai's defeat.

"You underestimate the ability of people to change their minds. If the situation changes, and we are the victims of aggression, then why wouldn't he try and stop the next war?" she argued, and her eyes narrowed in thought.

"I... uh, don't really know." she mumbled, "Maybe he'd punish both sides." she suggested, and Azula narrowed her eyes.

"Well, we will face that challenge when it comes." she declared confidently, knowing that even if she couldn't defeat the Avatar in a head-to-head battle, she knew that her people would not allow themselves to be subordinated by an outsider.

"I don't want you to do that again." Ty Lee spoke her mind, and the Fire Lord rolled her eyes.

"I'm well aware that the Avatar can beat me in a straight fight, Ty Lee. I'm not stupid enough to try it again." she made her intentions clear, before her friend's eyes turned away.

"I need to ask you something." she admitted, and Azula raised a hand towards her.

"Fine, what is it? Did you want to ask if you could use the palace spa without me?" she questioned her, knowing her friend had an unhealthy attachment to that place and its services; she couldn't blame her for enjoying herself, but it almost felt as if she was coming to the palace to enjoy it rather than be around Azula herself.

"N-no, it's not about that." she assured her, her expression shifting to a more serious one, "Mai is asking about Zuko again."

She raised a brow, wondering if Mai had figured out that Zuko was certainly alive; there was no evidence of it, from her understanding, barring that which the Dai Li had provided to her- that would not likely be public information, unless some of the garrison had seen his face and put the pieces together.

"He is gone, Ty Lee." she stressed, "My brother isn't coming back."

"Because he's dead." she stated what most believed to be true, though her tone made it seem like a sarcastic comment; Azula glanced away, wondering what she could say to that.

The pause must have told her what she was thinking, because Ty Lee immediately stood up, "So he is alive!" she declared, Azula gritting her teeth and pointing towards her.

"Don't shout." she demanded, "And sit back down."

"Why, so you can continue lying about it?" she asked, and Azula shook her head.

"No, I'm going to tell you the facts so you shut up about it and leave the issue where it should be: in the past." she decided, knowing that she would continue to harass her.

Given Mai's attachment to him, it wasn't out of the question that she'd break into the palace and threaten her life if she didn't tell her the truth. She wouldn't put it past her; Mai, despite her stoic exterior, had emotions and desires like any other human being, and if she cared enough about something, she would use violence to achieve her ends.

"Alright." Ty Lee nodded, "Tell me what you know."

"Zuko didn't die in the shipwreck, which I am sure you and Mai have deduced already. What you don't know is why he's gone. Prince Zuko hasn't been seen since he was spotted on that ship with my uncle... which then exploded." she prefaced the first, and most important point, "Do you know why it exploded?"

"I- there was never a public explanation." she realised, "Not that I was paying too much attention to the news, but everybody was talking about it after it happened."

Azula pointed her thumb towards her sternum, "I know the truth: Zuko stood in the way of Admiral Zhao's plans, so he tried to have him assassinated."

"But... he-" Ty Lee began, her eyes widening, "He's dead."

"Exactly. And why do you think that is the case?" she asked her, knowing that she could figure out the reason from what she already knew.

"Because he killed your uncle. He was taking care of Zuko... so, he must have been mad." she started to realise what had actually happened; it was no mere accident, nor was Zuko just hiding for fear of his life.

"Mad would be an understatement." she retorted, "The assassins were some pirates the Admiral hired. They were massacred... every single one of them, and my brother didn't even bother to steal their loot."

"How do you know it was him?" she asked, and Azula chuckled.

"Because he told me, of course." she gestured to herself, "I caught him at a port on the northern coast of the Earth Kingdom. He was looking for a way to reach Zhao... and it just happened that was the port he sailed into after he was defeated by the Avatar at the North Pole."

"And... you let him kill Zhao." she deduced, her eyes widening, "Why?"

"Because he committed treason. The evidence was scanty, but I know things that most people don't. Zhao had a reason to attack my brother, but revealing that would not have helped him in any case. He should have been executed, but I knew my father wouldn't allow it."

"But that can't be it." she mumbled, "Did you really care about your uncle dying?"

"A little." she admitted the truth, "He was a great general and hero of the Fire Nation... even if he lost my respect long ago, I could not overlook all his deeds. For him to die like that, I understood my brother's rage."

"And why did he disappear then?"

"Because I told him to. He could have joined me to capture the Avatar, as you did, or he could pretend he was dead and be allowed to kill Zhao with no consequences." she explained truthfully what she offered, "He disappeared, and did what he wanted. Now, he is gone... so Mai shouldn't be so worried. He is not dead, but he is not here."

Ty Lee crossed her arms, not looking appeased, "I don't believe it." she mumbled, "You really have no idea where he is?"

"Why would I even care? He's already made it clear he doesn't care for his duties as a Prince or the throne." she argued; she was stating the truth as she knew it, though her brother's actions in Ba Sing Se concerningly suggested she might be wrong.

"Well... why would he just disappear? Didn't he care about finding the Avatar, about coming home?" she pressed her, and Azula shrugged her shoulders.

"I cannot say for certain. He wanted to take the path of brutal justice, and I let him... for all I know, he's gone off and reinvented himself." she offered a possibility; it didn't contradict with what she actually knew, and might have actually half-explained it.

The new Zuko didn't care for the Fire Nation, or his duties, or anything of the sorts, but for some new ideals that he had conjured up to replace whatever he held dear before. That idea concerned her, mostly because it made him much more of a threat to her rule. Her father might have been able to reinstated as Fire Lord by hardliners if she appeased the other nations too much, but she had no intention of letting that occur; Zuko on the other hand, could just as easily appeal to the Avatar, and those in the Fire Nation that wanted a lasting peace with the other nations, if they found out what he had been up to in Ba Sing Se.

"I don't know if Mai will be happy to hear this." Ty Lee warned her, and Azula just scoffed.

"I don't care what she thinks." she bluntly admitted, "This was between me and my brother. I might not like him, but I respected his choice... she should as well."

"I don't-" she began, before turning her eyes away, "What are you doing, Azula?"

"Elaborate." she demanded, and her friend let out a sigh.

"You're trying to hide things, and manipulate the situation so you can come out on top. I remember Ba Sing Se, it was the same then." she observed, "What happens when the Avatar finds out?"

"He won't." she narrowed her eyes, "And if he did, I can deny it. There's no way he can prove anything otherwise." she argued, and Ty Lee hummed in thought.

"You had guards with you, didn't you? When you were sent to look for him." she reminded her, and the Fire Lord's glare hardened.

"What are a few dead men for the sake of world peace?" she asked her; she had no intention of killing her own Imperial Firebenders, but if it was a choice between their lives and stopping herself from being overthrown and the peace process being shattered, she'd kill them in a heartbeat, "I am the Fire Lord, not a little girl with ideas of love and kindness." she reminded her of her nature and her duties.

"How far will you go?" she asked her, and Azula scoffed; she had no intention of ruthlessly wiping out any possibilities of being undermined, because she knew that the external situation was so much more dire, and presently, it would probably go her way, no matter what the Avatar said.

"If I don't have to do anything, I won't. At this rate, my enemies will play right into my hands without me having to lift a finger. That's the beauty of peace... once you have it, it's ever so fragile, even in the hands of those that want it the most."